Way to Fall: Side Stories
by Mistress Kizuna
Summary: A companion to my story "What a Way to Fall." A collection of one-shots and scenes that explain and reveal a few things not covered in the main story.
1. Never Make a Mother Mad

**Ugh, my creative ADD is acting up again. Why can't I focus on just one project?**

**Oop, well, in chapter 7 of "What a Way to Fall", I wrote in the Author's Notes that I was going to make a "side story" thing, consisting mainly of scenes that I couldn't include in the main story for reasons including time constraints, pacing issues, and just not really knowing how to fit them into the narrative. And a couple other scenes that I wrote out purely for self-indulgent purposes (like this one).**

**This scene here takes place right after Chapter 6 from the main story, "Sorry Isn't Good Enough."**

**Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan made story. Hetalia is owned by Studio DEEN, Funimation and Hidekaz Himaruya. Please support the official release.**

**Any original characters are mine though.**

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**Side Story 1: Never Make a Mother Mad**

_"You never learn, do you?"_

_Arthur turned around to face the speaker, almost vomiting at what he saw. Standing in front of him was a woman with deep brown skin, long flowing black hair, and a toned athletic physique. She would have been attractive if not for the fact that her eye sockets were empty and infested with maggots, and the rest of her looked almost like a zombie. Despite her eyes being gone, Arthur could still see the rage on her features._

_He knew her too. A nation of old times, who lived long before the modern era, and died due to circumstances far beyond her control._

_"My God, Korrina?" Arthur asked in shock._

_Korrina, otherwise known retroactively as Native America, was the first embodiment of most of the North American continent. She had been suspicious of Arthur, Francis and the Scandinavians when they first arrived at her shores, though that didn't stop her from having Alfred and Matthew later on. No one, even Korrina herself, was sure who the boys' father was. It didn't matter to her that her boys had fair skin, yellow hair, and blue eyes however; she loved them no matter what, and tried to protect them for as long as she could._

_Eventually she died from a combination of several different diseases that were carried over from the Europeans. The people that she embodied had no immunities to the pox, the consumption, the fevers. Much to her sadness and pain, she was no longer able to look after Alfred and Matthew, and was forced to place them into the care of Arthur and Francis. The day after she had to give her sons away, she died. Her body disappeared and Korrina became nothing but a whisper in the winds._

_But now, she was a hurricane and a tornado combined into a destructive force of nature, and nothing was going to stop her from achieving her goal._

_"Yes, Arthur. Long time no see. But I'm not here to catch up. I'll get straight to the point: I know what you did to my sons, and I must say I'm __**very**__ disappointed with you," she snapped._

_Arthur knew she would be. After all, she only gave him and Francis the boys when she knew she would die soon, and it hardly shocked him she would be wanting to avenge her son. He was still utterly frightened though. Her appearance alone was enough. He tried to run away from her, but Korrina materialized in front of him, stopping Arthur in his tracks. Even though her eyes were missing, he could still feel her vicious glare tearing into him._

_Korrina continued, "You see Arthur, as angry as I was for what you and your men did to my people, I was willing to forgive you. After all, you did keep your word. You raised my sons with the love and compassion I was no longer able provide them and taught __them to be strong and prosperous countries. And you didn't know that you had wiped my people out with your diseases. It was a different time, and I was willing to let bygones be bygones and move on."_

_The look on her face then grew angrier as she viciously said, "But then you had to go back on your word. What you did to Alfred was cruel, barbaric, and had no good intentions. My son made a mistake, but did he do it on purpose? Did he really wish for your stocks to fall so low? What kind of solution is that, to kick a man when he's already down? Would it have really solved anything? And then you dragged poor Matthew into the mess, destroying his own trust in you. And then there's poor little Kenna..."_

_Arthur tried to deter her somehow. "I know what I did was wrong, Korrina! Please believe me, I didn't know it would end this way!"_

**_"NO!"_**

_Korrina's shout was massive. Arthur could feel the echo reverberating in his bones, and his eardrums felt like they had just burst. She sounded like a legion of demons speaking in unison._

**_"YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE DOING. A REAL MAN DOES NOT TURN HIS BACK ON THOSE HE CARES FOR. A REAL MAN DOES NOT GO BACK ON HIS PROMISES. ALL YOU HAVE SHOWN ME IS THAT YOU HAVE NOT LEARNED A THING OVER THESE CENTURIES, AND YOU CALLED ME A SAVAGE?! YOU, ARTHUR KIRKLAND, ARE NO MAN, BUT A MERE WORM!"_**

_Suddenly a bow and a flaming arrow materialized in her hands, and before Arthur could escape, she shot. The single arrow somehow turned into several arrows, and they struck Arthur. Two for each of his hands, another two for his legs, and one in his torso. He was pinned to the floor, and despite his pain, he was still alive. The flames burned at his body, scorching his skin off._

_Arthur didn't even bother trying to struggle away; he knew it was futile. The agony was unbearable, and Arthur had no sense of time in this world. It felt like he was trapped here for years._

_Suddenly, a large and very ugly brown cockroach appeared and started crawling all over Arthur's body, the eerie tickling sensation of its legs walking all over him unsettling him._

_"Auugghhh, get it off me! Arthur cried out, trying to struggle again. He hated bugs more than anything._

_But Korrina was not merciful. She floated next to Arthur and whispered in his ear, "Is it torturing you Arthur? Does it feel like an invasion of your personal space?"_

_Suddenly, more cockroaches appeared and began scurrying all over Arthur, who screamed in horror, "PLEASE, GET THEM OFF ME! PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!"_

_Korrina only scowled and said, "They show no mercy, because you showed no mercy. Who is the true savage here, Arthur?"_

Arthur awoke, startled and utterly shaken. He panted heavily, tuning the light on. He checked himself. He had not a scratch on him.

"It's just a dream, it's not real," Arthur kept telling himself, as he stumbled to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. Just for safety, he also mixed in some special sleeping powder into his tea. A little magic should be enough to keep those nightmares away. Once he was done drinking it, he hesitantly returned to bed. He felt sound enough once he fell back asleep.

_"Liar. Murderer. Rapist. __**SAVAGE**__."_

She returned when it was too late for him to wake up from this one.

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**Admittedly, this one came about after I came to feel like Arthur's "Kenna gets revenge" nightmare was way too simplistic and not quite punishing enough. This is solely my personal catharsis factor (since Arthur did cross the Moral Event Horizon in a biiiig way around the last pages of the comic). So who better than Mama Native America to get some long overdue payback on Artie?**

**And this is just the first of many nightmares Arthur will be going through. Some of them are genuine ghosts, others are just his guilt getting to him. I'm so sadistic.**

**Quick note: "consumption" was the old name of tuberculosis. **


	2. When Mercedes Met Kenna

**So here it is, a new one! This is of Mercedes, my Mexico-tan OC that I showed in some flashbacks in the Anger Chapter of the main story. I wanted to flesh her character out a little here and set the ground work for what her potential future relationship to Kenna would be as well as her dynamic with Matt. I wish Himaruya would make a Mexico-tan already (and hopefully make them a girl, because APH really needs more female characters).**

**Not much else to say here.**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is the property of Hidekaz Himaruya. Except Mercedes and Kenna; they're my original characters.**

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**Side Story 2: When Mercedes Met Kenna**

Mercedes didn't know why Matt was like this at times. The nerve of him, not introducing her to Kenna before the meeting from three days ago. She wanted to give that pendejo a piece of her mind. She was driving through the suburban neighborhood Matt and Kenna were residing in, almost wanting to laugh at how absurdly polished and pretty everything looked. It reminded her of that soap opera "Desperate Housewives."

She had to admit though, Matt picked out a good location. His and Kenna's home was a nice place, a good one for raising a child. Mercedes took a deep breath, got out of her car and began walking towards his home. As she knocked on the door, several thoughts flooded her mind while she waited for an answer.

It still hurt badly. She still remembered the funeral like it just happened five minutes ago...

_The funeral was a somber and small affair. Everyone was dressed in black, as per the tradition. The casket was partially closed, Alfred's body dressed up in a nice suit and cleaned up, the bullet wound in his head covered up._

_Mercedes stood next to Matt, clutching tightly to his arm. She was loudly sobbing, her make-up running down her cheeks. It was hardly an attractive sight, but she did not care at all._

_Among the attendees included Asher, Toris, Yon-Soo, Antonio, Katyusha, and of all people, Esteban. It was surprising to her and Matt that the personification of Cuba, who usually had such an antagonistic relationship with Alfred, would be here at Alfred's funeral, somber and genuinely devastated._

_The president and his family were also here. The Commander in Chief himself looked like he had been punched in the gut. Matt knew the man blamed himself for Alfred's death (and the circumstances that caused it) above everyone else. His young daughters were also crying hard too, clearly missing their playmate and friend._

_As the priest talked on through the eulogy, Mercedes kept her eyes glued to the ground. She couldn't bear to look at the casket, at Alfred's dead body. She just wished this was all a bad dream, and she would wake up from it any minute now..._

_"What do you mean I'm not allowed here?!" a familiar sounding voice yelled out from a short distance away._

_"What the hell?" Matt asked himself as he turned around. He followed the sound to investigate the scene. Mercedes had to admit, she was curious too. She, as well as Asher and Katyusha, followed suit._

_They saw who was causing such a ruckus. And Mercedes' blood began boiling._

_Arthur._

_The nerve of that asshole, coming here and fighting with the Secret Service agents looking over the place, making a scene and generally being disrespectful. Why was he here?_

_"I know the deceased here! I have the right to say my last words to him!" Arthur told the agent angrily._

_The agent shrugged and replied, "Well, that's too bad, sir. The President himself, as well as Mr. Williams, both specifically stated that you're not allowed at this funeral for reasons that should, quote, be apparent to you, unquote."_

_Arthur was about to fight until he saw Matt glaring at him._

_"What are you doing here, Arthur?" Matt growled._

_"All I want is to say some last words to Alfred."_

_Mercedes bitterly laughed, despite her throat still being choked up with sobs. She angrily said, "You don't have the right, Arthur. It's because of **you** that he's dead! Don't act like you have the right to say **anything** to him after what you did!"_

_The President arrived quickly with a couple other agents and said in a reserved but hard tone, "Agent Bennett, Agent Clarke, show this man the way out. We've already established he isn't welcome to this funeral, and he's already disrupting things and making a scene. Get him out of here, **now**."_

_The agents said in unison, "Understood Mr. President," as they both roughly grabbed Arthur and dragged him away from Arlington Cemetery despite his protests._

_Matt sighed angrily before turning around to go back to the funeral. Katyusha occupied his side, rubbing his back gently. Mercedes followed, glad that Arthur was being taken away from here. She kinda hoped the agents roughed Arthur up a little for being so disrespectful, just for good measure._

_The rest of the funeral went on without anymore incidents. And so, as the end approached, it was time to bury Alfred. A small group of soldiers carried an American flag to the casket, neatly folding it and then placing it in Alfred's hands. Everyone got in line, each putting a flower in._

_Mercedes was last in line. The sight of Alfred just lying dead in his coffin was torture. This wasn't the Alfred she knew; the nation who was so full of life and fire. He shouldn't be here. And soon, he would be buried six feet underground, gone forever. More tears fell as she placed a small bouquet of flowers she picked from her own garden next to Alfred's body. She couldn't stand to look at this anymore._

_Matt wasn't faring any better. It was as though the reality, the full weight of the situation just hit him right now - that Alfred, his brother, the only blood relative he had in the world, the one that he had just as many fights as fun times with, the best friend and worst enemy in his life, this piece of him, was dead._

_He was dead._

_Neither could help themselves. Mercedes and Matt grabbed on to each other and cried harder. It was all they could do. The others joined in, unable to hold their sadness back any longer._

_Once everyone had more or less settled down, things proceeded._

_Mercedes forced herself to keep her eyes open. She watched as they closed the casket and began lowering it into the hole. She watched as the soldiers filled that little hole with dirt and patted it down. She watched as they set up Alfred's tombstone. She watched as the soldiers all saluted the grave._

_And then it was over._

_The President and his family were the first to leave, followed later by Antonio, Yon-Soo, Esteban, Toris and Asher._

_Matt and Mercedes were still standing there, silent._

_Finally she asked, "What happens now Matt?"_

_He didn't answer._

Mercedes rang the doorbell, trying to wait patiently as she could. Her heart was pounding. The excitement of meeting Kenna face-to-face was almost too much. And really, what would she say? How would Kenna respond to her?

Matt answered the door, the expression on his face going from hard to slightly softer, if not slightly shocked, as soon as he knew it was her.

"Mercedes? This is unexpected."

Mercedes angrily smacked Matt across the cheek as she angrily ranted, "I can't believe you, Matthew! Why didn't you introduce her to me the day you found her? Am I really not that important to you?"

Matt looked at the Mexico embodiment with surprise, nursing his cheek. In hindsight, he should have expected this. "Look, Mercedes, I know you're offended, but I had my reasons."

Another voice, that of a young girl, rang through the house. "Matt! Are you okay? What's going on?"

"Nothing, Kens! Just a little argument with Mercedes! No need to worry!"

Mercedes glared at Matt and asked, "What reasons?"

Matt looked back at her and said, "Look, Mercedes, you are important to me, but I don't think it's a good idea to have you around Kenna. She needs good role models that will teach her how to be an effective leader and a good, responsible person."

"You mean a bunch of straight laced sticks in the mud, right?" Mercedes fired back. "She isn't allowed to just be a kid and enjoy the time she has before she has to take on her responsibilities? Make any mistakes?"

Matt sighed. Mercedes was a good person, and a strong independent woman to boot, but she was also hot-headed, had a tendency to be overly emotional, and was sometimes irresponsible. And that wasn't even getting to the drug and crime problems that plagued her country...

"Mercedes, please, I already have enough on my plate. I don't need anymore stress after what happened at the meeting."

"You won't even let me see her?" Mercedes asked, looking and sounding genuinely heartbroken. She then quickly added, "And what do you mean by what happened at the meeting?"

Matt realized he had spilled the beans and knew there was no way to get out of this one. So he let her in and sat her down on the couch, as he recalled Arthur's kidnapping attempt. He was clearly disgusted as he described what Arthur tried to do to Kenna. Mercedes noted the disappointment Matt had for himself that he nearly failed Kenna.

Mercedes was livid as she heard this. Was it not enough that Arthur went back on his promise to be there for Alfred, but then go do something like this? What gave that pendejo the idea that he had the right to kidnap Kenna and force her to be some rehash of Alfred just to soothe his guilty conscience? Why did he even think it would work to begin with?

Just more proof Arthur was an egotistical dumbass who was nowhere near as intelligent or sophisticated as he liked to believe himself to be...

Mercedes asked with a shaking voice, "Why would he do such a thing?"

"He thought Kenna's existence was a sign of a second chance for him and that his previous experiences meant he was more qualified to look after her. Don't worry though, I did give out a hard right hook to his face, so he didn't get out unscathed."

Mercedes nodded at that. She kinda wished she could see that, Matt punching Arthur. Hopefully it left a good bruise on him too. But for now, she focused on what she really came here for; meet Kenna.

"Look, Matt, I just want to meet her. I know I'm not perfect, but Alfred was my friend too. I want to meet her, and maybe even help you a little. I'm not asking for much you know."

Matt frowned for a second before relenting. "Okay, Mercedes, you can meet her. But the extent of your relations will be all up to Kenna. Understand?"

She nodded and waited as Matt took Kenna out. She finally saw the girl up close, and couldn't believe her eyes. Kenna was beautiful, and a protective urge took over Mercedes. She wanted to look after this girl, to hold her close and keep her safe, especially after knowing of Arthur's kidnapping attempt.

Mercedes slowly approached Kenna, holding her hand out. "Hi, Kenna. I'm Mercedes, Alfred's friend."

"I know," the little girl replied. "I have Alfred's memories."

"Yes. And I know Alfred wasn't always willing to get along with me and I wasn't any better. But that's in the past. All I want Kenna is for you to know that I'm here for you. Any time you need or just want someone to talk to, I'll always be available. That's all."

Kenna looked at Mercedes and said, "Thanks Mercedes. I know you're a good person. I'll keep in touch with you."

"Thanks Kenna. I know we'll be good friends. I'm sorry about what Arthur tried to do to you by the way."

Kenna cringed slightly. Mercedes was about to apologize but Kenna quickly said, "Don't worry about it. I was able to fight him off just by insulting him. Matt's signing me up for self-defense classes too, so I'll be able to fight off someone if they get any funny ideas."

Mercedes smiled and nodded. "That's good Kenna. I know you're strong. You'll be a great successor for Alfred."

"Come on, Mercedes. I'll walk you out," Matt said to her.

Once they were outside Matt noted, "I can tell there was a lot you left unsaid, Mercedes."

Mercedes glared at him, tears welling in her eyes as she said, "Maybe. Frankly, I just wish Alfred would come back. Kenna being around just feels like a sign that they've won."

Matt angrily said, "Are you implying that Kenna doesn't deserve a chance?"

"Of course not!" Mercedes retaliated. "But admit it Matt, you wanted to do a lot more than just one punch to Arthur's face that day."

"Of course I did," he bitterly grumbled.

They were silent for a couple minutes, really not knowing what else to say. The two Nations weren't exactly close to each other, one of their few common traits being their close relationships with Alfred. His death and Kenna's very existence definitely shook that dynamic up in ways they weren't sure how to go about now.

Mercedes shook her head and said, "Well I need to get going. I have a lot of work to do. But Matt, please just know that I really mean it when I say I want to be there for you and Kenna. I know we haven't always gotten along, but I am more than sure Alfred would want us to help each other and be there for Kenna. I promise to stay in touch."

Matt smiled sadly and replied, "Yeah, you're right. I'll keep in touch when I can. Thanks for coming Mercedes."

The two hugged before Mercedes got into her car. As she drove off, several conflicting feelings hit her. She really did feel a sense of care and compassion towards Kenna, who certainly should not be held responsible for what happened to Alfred. On the other hand, that girl was a clear physical reminder of what happened all that time ago.

Mercedes wished things were simpler. She wished there was a way to put them all behind bars forever, or kill them, or something. But there was nothing she could do.

She could only try to establish a relationship with Kenna, an innocent girl that only deserved kindness and love. She couldn't let her emotions rule her in this case.

But there was something else she could do. It was admittedly just a petty revenge move, meant solely to rub some salt into someone's wound, but no one could stop her.

Mercedes immediately started to write an email out on her smartphone, detailing what Arthur tried to do to Kenna, and sent it to everyone she knew, along with the message to forward this to everyone else they knew. Knowing that it came straight from Matt's mouth, it would become free knowledge to the other Nations. At least she could do that much.

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**Gah, I cried as I wrote the funeral scene down. Poor Matt, having to do this. And I decided to make Cuba attend the funeral as well; thought it would be a kind gesture on his part.**

**As for Mercedes as a character, she is generally a very emotional person; I kinda visualize her as acting like a telenovela character at times, in her movements and speech patterns. I also generally visualize her as being a little troubled at times, considering Mexico's crime rates and that the country's home to all kinds of drug cartels and smugglers. She's a good person, but isn't exactly soft or nice. The word pendejo (Spanish for "Dumbass") is like a catchphrase for her.**

**So that's that! Sound off on reviews! I would greatly appreciate any feedback and suggestions! Love all of you, my dear readers! (kiss)**


	3. Other Goodbyes

**Hello dear readers! I am really sorry the writing's slowed down a little. I've been wrestling with a lot of ideas in my head and not knowing how to get them down, but I'm trying to get the ball rolling! The next chapter of the main story will be coming soon, so don't worry there! If anyone wants to pre-read it, give me a PM! :)**

**This side story will be focusing on Tony, who sadly won't be making any appearances in the main story (IIRC, a reviewer did ask me to make him and Kenna team up). This shot will explain why.**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is the property of Hidekaz Himaruya. Except Mercedes and Kenna; they're my original characters.**

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**Side Story 3: Other Goodbyes**

He missed Alfred terribly.

As Tony steered his ship, cloaked in such a way as to prevent any of Earth's radars from detecting him, he reflected.

When he had landed in the USA in the 1940s, he found a nearly perfect friend in Alfred. Alfred didn't get scared or freaked out by the fact that he was a grey skinned alien from a faraway planet. In fact, he accepted Tony fully and saw the person underneath the grey skin, oversized head and red eyes - the explorer that liked to play around and learn with equal fervor. They came from different worlds, yet they were so alike.

These past several years he spent on Earth, learning about humans was one of the greatest he had in his life. Alfred was the perfect teacher, showing him both the good and the bad. Humans were a very intriguing species, capable of the most wonderful things, as well as some ugly things. But they had, in his eyes, proven themselves a capable species worthy of their place in the greater universe.

So then why were the humanoid embodiments of the countries the humans inhabited such awful monsters?

He remembered that day all too clearly...

_Alfred looked empty._

_His eyes were dull, a sight Tony was not used to seeing. The way Alfred carried himself was so... monotonous, like he was a puppet being pulled on strings._

_"What happened to him Matthew?" Tony snarled. He had a gut feeling something unimaginably awful happened to Alfred. After all, there was no way his friend would be like this for no reason._

_Matt sweated a bit, clearly not comfortable with divulging the details of what drove Alfred to this state. "Tony, believe me, I really don't think you'd want to hear just what happened to him."_

_Tony pressed, "Matthew, I am Alfred's friend. I have a right to know, don't I?"_

_Matt sighed, clearly defeated and he replied, "Well, don't say I didn't warn you..."_

_As Matt told Tony what happened and who was responsible, Tony shook with rage. Why? What kind of bright idea was that? Did they even stop and think that maybe Alfred wasn't in control of the economy, that maybe it wasn't all just his fault, that maybe this would only make things worse?_

_In his society, violating and breaking someone's trust in you was considered a grave offense and utterly unforgivable. Did they miss the memo on that?_

_Tony snarled, "How could they do that to him?! They were all his friends! That fucking limey especially! I was willing to tolerate Arthur because Alfred liked him, for crying out loud! I am not going to stand for this! I will burn them all to the ground myself! They will pay for this!"_

_"No Tony, don't!" Alfred suddenly spoke up._

_"Wait, what?" Tony asked, utterly shocked. Why was Alfred saying no?_

_"Don't get revenge on them for me, Tony. Please, I've already caused enough trouble," Alfred said brokenly._

_Tony just looked at Alfred with shock, unable to believe what those bastards reduced his friend into. Sure, Alfred wasn't a vengeful person by nature, but he also wasn't a doormat that just took any transgressions against him lying down._

_"Look Tony, going all alien invasion on them and blowing up all of their monuments is not going to make things any better," Alfred continued. "Believe me, it won't do any good."_

_Tony interjected, "But Alfred-"_

_"No buts, Tony. Just let it be."_

Tony hated that he complied with Alfred there. Sure, revenge wasn't a celebrated thing for his race, but damn it, there had to be some kind of justice for this!

And now, Alfred was gone.

Tony had strongly considered just saying "fuck it" and use the weapons on his ship to destroy all of England, France, Russia, Italy, China, Japan, and Germany and burn them to the ground.

But in the end, he decided against it. He had kept a promise to Alfred, and even though he didn't like it, he would honor it. (Of course, there was also the fact that the civilians were innocent for the most part, but even still...)

He punched in the coordinates in the computer to take him back home, and shifted the vessel's controls to autopilot before getting out of his chair. Out the window, Tony took one last look at the planet Earth. He had to admit he would really miss this place. The video games, the movies, the fun people he met, the food, and Alfred most especially.

He knew Matt and the others were holding a funeral service for Alfred today, but Tony just couldn't go. It would be too painful for him. But he could still say goodbye in his own way...

* * *

When Matt and Mercedes finally were leaving the cemetery, it was already dark out. Mercedes was barely able to walk, clutching Matt's arm as she trudged alongside him as they readied themselves to go home. Matt sighed, feeling a heavy weight on his soul as the knowledge that he would have to take over Alfred's duties began to dawn on him.

Matt spotted a bench and gently asked Mercedes, "Hey, could we sit down there? I really need a smoke right now."

"Sure," she replied, somewhat brokenly. Mercedes quickly added, "In fact, I need one too."

Matt grimly nodded with understanding, and took his pack of Marlboro Reds out. After handing one to Mercedes and lighting up, Matt took a long drag out of his cigarette and let the strong burn linger in his throat for a few seconds before tilting his head up to the sky and exhaling a thick puff of smoke. It was clear out tonight, but there weren't many stars out. Something strange caught his eye however.

Matt almost thought it was a shooting star. It was a glittering streak of red, white and blue, shining in the inky blackness, before fading away into the abyss again.

Matt squinted, thinking for a second before realizing what it was.

_'Goodbye to you too, Tony. I'm going to miss you,'_ Matt silently said as he forlornly finished his cigarette.

_'And we're all going to miss him too.'_

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**Gah, I also cried as I wrote this chapter. Poor Tony; he lost his best friend from Earth and can't even get to avenge him****. :(**

**I kinda get the feeling some people might feel that I'm copping out a bit on having Tony decide to leave. And I understand, because I'll admit, I really just couldn't figure out how to make Tony and Kenna really gel with each other. Plus Tony, at this point, just feels like there's no point in staying at Earth anymore. My personal head-canon was that he was sent to examine earth and humanity, and spent so much time there because he liked being Alfred's friend too much to want to leave. His report to his superiors is probably many years overdue too.**

**So that's that! Sound off on reviews! I would greatly appreciate any feedback and suggestions! Love all of you, my dear readers! (kiss)**


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